Recipes

Rice-Stick Noodle Salad with Vietnamese Shrimp

INGREDIENTS

For the dough:

• 1/3 cup Asian fish sauce
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar (not seasoned)
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes

For Shrimp:

• 1 pound large shrimp ( 16 to 20 )
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 English cucumber
• 4 scallions
• 1/2 pound rice-stick noodles
• 1 cup fresh mint spings
• 1/2cup fresh coriander spings
• 2 tablespoons chopped peanuts

PREPARATION

Make dressing:

1. In a bowl stir together all dressing ingredients until sugar is dissolved. Chill dressing, covered 1 hour. Shell and devein shrimp. In a large saucepan of salted boiling water cook shrimp with lemon 2 minutes, or until just cooked through. In a colander drain shrimp and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Halve shrimp lengthwise. Halve cucumber lengthwise and seed. Cut cucumber halves and scallions crosswise into 2 1/2 inch pieces and cut pieces lengthwise into julienne strips.
2. In a bowl soak noodles in hot water to cover 15 minutes to soften. While noodles are soaking, in a 6-quart kettle bring 3 1/2 quarts salted water to a boil. Drain noodles in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Drain noodles well and with scissors cut into 4-inch lengths.
3. Divide noodles, shrimp, vegetables, and dressing among 4 bowls and sprinkle with herbs and peanuts. To eat, pull herbs from spings and toss with noodles.

4 SERVINGS